


The Duty of a Captain

by Geist (GeistLoL)



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/M, Impregnation, Lemon, Sex, Vanilla
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:41:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23294944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeistLoL/pseuds/Geist
Summary: Due to Ionian traditions, Irelia is pressured into having a child as part of her Ionian duty by Karma, but when Shen turns up to try to maintain her inner balance, the Blade Dancer takes full advantage of his presence. [Irelia/Shen, Lemon, Two-shot]
Relationships: Xan Irelia/Shen
Comments: 14
Kudos: 43





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - A Missing Duet

'I don't want to marry any of them,' Irelia said firmly, folding her arms and sitting back in her chair across from Karma. 'If you think you did a good job at finding people I would be the slightest bit interested in, then you are sorely mistaken.'

The Duchess sighed and sifted through the papers on top of her desk in the Ionian council chambers. She furrowed her brow as she looked down the long list of names. 'You must have liked at least one of them,' said Karma. 'I organised more than a dozen people to see you this month—are you seriously telling me that there wasn't a spark with a single one?' Karma's voice was tired and weary from the bureaucratic nonsense she'd been tasked with. What had seemed like a simple task of finding the Captain of the Guard a suitor had turned into a lengthy drawn out affair.

'Either they were seedy men leering at me for the entirety of our meeting, or they were as dumb as a dead Noxian,' said Irelia sitting up. She looked across the profiles of the many men that Karma had out on the desk top. She pointed to one in the middle. 'That one was about half my height and had the muscles of a child. How am I supposed to fall in love with something like that?'

Karma looked at the picture Irelia was pointing at. She knew the exact one the dancer was referring to, it had seemed like a long shot at the time and the lad was only a teenager.

'It's not a matter of falling in love with them,' Karma said, steepling her fingers and trying her best to add some assertion to her words. 'It's part of your duty as captain—both to your post within the military and to your country. You've become the last member of a noble house now after the Noxian invasion—surely you don't want your father's name to wither away?'

Irelia looked away. 'No…I don't want that. But still I don't see why I have to be forced to marry some meat-headed man I don't like and have their children. Where are the men on my level? I can think of plenty of decent suitors within my barracks alone,' said Irelia.

'Most are spoken for,' Karma noted. 'Plus, a child you bear has to be born from the seed of a man who has pledged their vows to Ionia. Most of your soldiers are still too inexperienced to be given the offer of a ceremony.'

It was Irelia's turn to let out a frustrated sigh. She huffed and sat back, firmly crossing her legs as she began to fiddle with the fabric of her red and blue battle dress. She normally had her blades to distract her if she was bored or stuck in an awkward situation, but with the council's rules of no weapons inside, she'd left them elsewhere.

'So remind me again why I'm not allowed to go out there and fall in love like any normal person?' the dancer said with a trace of irritation seeping into her tone. 'Why do I have to have my life "arranged" as you say?'

'For the reasons I've already stated. Unless you happen to begin a relationship with a champion or a high-ranking official in the next month or so, then the council will not approve it. Besides, many of the suitors I set out for you were champions. What about Master Yi, for example?' said Karma, raising her eyebrows. 'He's a fine swordsman and definitely within your area of skill.'

Irelia let out a feigned laugh. 'Hah, him? Do you know what he did when we went to talk this over at the teahouse yesterday? Before we'd even sat down, he'd already tried to pinch my backside! I gave him a glare and told him if his hands tried wandering one more time, I'd cut them straight off.'

'I see,' Karma said in defeat. 'Well Irelia, I really don't know how I can help you anymore. I've offered you the best men I could find that would suit the council if you were to marry them and have children.'

'I did not like them,' Irelia said flatly and with gritted teeth.

'In all honestly, you needn't even marry them,' said Karma, trying to reason with the distressed champion. Irelia's baby blue eyes flicked back to the Duchess at her words. 'Just having an heir to your family name will do. We're not so traditional as we once were, if you raised a son or daughter under the Xan family name with or without a husband, that would suffice.'

Irelia snapped and threw her hands up in the air. 'Hardly a good compromise Karma! Let some man have sex with me, carry his child for months and then be tied to them for life. This is a duty I did not ask for when I defended my country!'

The chair Irelia had been sat on hit the floor with a loud crack that made Karma jump as the Blade Dancer stormed out of the room and slammed the door hard behind her.

…

Irelia walked briskly through the council chambers heading straight for the door with her face nearing the same colour as her dress. She wished she'd brought her blades now, she tended to get her own way when she had them dancing beside her.

She didn't understand why Karma wasn't on her side in this argument, it wasn't like the Duchess had been married herself or had any children. Why was it that she was allowed to remain pure and independent but Irelia wasn't?

'Good day, Irelia,' a deep voice said as Irelia strode through a group of councillors and citizens in the courtyard of the Placidium. She ignored it, not even looking to see who it was. It was a beautiful evening in Ionia, the setting sun warmed the polished white stone steps of the assembly halls and the light reflected out across the First Lands with a distinct orange glow. Irelia spared no time to enjoy the splendour of her country, the beauty of the vista had gone stale following her conversation with Karma. She wanted to go home.

She walked further towards the sea and down the mountain path that led to her secluded home. She'd chosen to live away from the hustle and bustle of Ionia's central points. As a public figure and well known hero, she spent most of her time being disrupted by adoring citizens who wanted her attention, and so she made some measures to grant herself enough peace and quiet as she could manage – something that she was particularly thankful for on days like this.

Her house was grand and imbued with all of her homeland's culture. A large villa on the edge of the Ionian coast had been given to her after the rebuilding efforts had wiped away all traces of the Noxian invasion. The house was built into a mountain side, with marble terraces and grand arched entry ways, with all the space inside she could ever need. Sometimes she missed her family's quaint little cottage.

She wandered up the pathway, still fuming and cycling through her predicament again and again in her mind. What if she refused to marry or have a child? Could they force her? Why did it matter to them anyway? It was her business, her own private matters that the Ionian government and Karma were sticking their noses into.

Irelia closed the door firmly behind her as if to ward out prying eyes and intrusive eavesdroppers and went straight through the house towards her bedroom. Well, she called it a bedroom, but in reality it was a vast open space carved into the mountain rock with an open balcony that over-looked the cliff edge and across the Ionian Sea. The East held a perpetually warm climate, so the open-planned room was always warm and needed no windows or walls. It was her favourite place to be, as at night she was given all the wonder of the night sky to watch as she fell asleep.

She felt herself starting to relax as she sat down on her bed and watched as the last of the light began to fade away below the horizon as the stars took their turn to light the inky skies. The darkness however, left her alone with the thoughts that continued to press down on her mind. She was certainly in a predicament, one that she struggled to see a way out of. It wasn't like the Elders of Ionia was simply her friends that were pressuring her into relationships or teasing her about lack of experience - they were the government of her country, the ones who she had pledged her life too.

Irelia started to feel a weight swell up in her chest as she said on the bed, anxieties that she'd hardly considered until this problem has arisen. She stood up and made her way to the bathroom, another stunning room that to any Ionian peasant would have seemed like heaven on earth. Carved from smooth stone, it was a large wet-room that took advantage of the natural springs in the mountainside to feed the shower head with pure water.

She tugged off her steel head pieces that decorated her midnight hair, setting them aside and looking up into the mirror that hung on the wall. She saw herself staring back and saw the tiredness in her baby blue eyes, her youthful beauty tainted by the pressure of her country's expectations that whittled down her spirit. She wanted to hide that face, so she distracted herself by pulling the top half of her complex battle dress over her head. The suit was tailored and fitted tight to her lithe body, so it took some effort to peel it from her skin. She tugged off her plated boots and then did the same with her blue leggings, tossing her iconic attire into a pile in the bathroom.

She dared to take another look in the mirror, this time wearing only her undergarments. Her toned mid-riff with gentle curves that ran down the length of her stomach was definitely attractive to a man, but whenever she looked at herself all she saw were the days she'd skipped training, or the treats she'd allowed herself on days off. It would never be perfect. She brushed her blue hair over her shoulders and pulled on a white satin night-robe, tying the thin belt loosely around her middle.

As soon as she stepped back into her room however, something more than just her mental state felt off. Her finely honed senses were twitching, the itch at the back of her neck telling her that she needed to be wary. Her eyes scanned her bedroom, listening through the silence and watching as the slightly ruffled sheets caught the breeze that drifted gently and lifted the curtains. In the darkness of the corner, she made out a figure.

For anyone else, the presence of a dark shadow in their room would have sent them into a panic, but Irelia was trained to think rationally under pressure, and immediately she worked out what was going on.

'Shen, get out,' said Irelia, the tension of the moment prior leaving her body and her tone sound very unperturbed. The Eye of Twilight moulded out from the shadows, his purple and blue battle armour catching the moonlight along with the two swords sheathed on his back.

'Irelia,' Shen acknowledged her in his cool voice. 'You know why I've come.'

Irelia sighed and let her shoulders fall. 'Of course I do, you always find a way to materialise when I'm even the slightest bit upset. Well for once in your life Shen, this isn't something you can help with by turning up with a sword and a comforting hand – unless you want Ionia's Elders on your back,' said Irelia, beginning to pace across the large room towards him. Her bare feet pattered on the smooth stone walls and Shen watched her from behind his mask with measuring eyes.

'I am tasked with maintaining balance, Irelia. Whether that be the balance of Ionia, or the internal balance of its Captain,' said Shen, and Irelia almost laughed. It was as if Shen already knew what the problem was…then she realised, he probably did.

'Knowing you Shen, you already know exactly why I'm feeling this way. You always find it out before you come to try and put things right,' Irelia said as she came to a stop a few steps away from the ninja. Shen stood rigid with his hands together as he always did outside of combat, but Irelia saw the slight twitch that told her she was right.

'I have spoken with Karma already, yes,' said Shen.

'Then you'll know why I'm upset, because I'm being left with no choice in a matter that should be entirely mine to decide. My body should not be dictated by the expectations of tradition, nor should my future be decided for me.'

Irelia felt herself getting red in the face as a warmth spread over her cheeks. Deep down, she felt a pang of guilt for being so firm with Shen. The ninja had been nothing but kind and respectful every time he had tried to help her. She let her shoulders fall as she deflated internally, feeling the prick of tears in her eyes. 'I just want to be allowed for once to be normal.'

'You have been placed in an awkward position unwillingly, Irelia. No one doubts the weight that was thrust upon you at such a young age. I understand your desires, but also that of the powers that govern our country,' Shen said, relaxing somewhat from his stance and letting his hands fall to his sides.

'Don't you start on it as well. If your means of restoring balance is you coming here and trying to convince me of their way of thinking then I suggest you leave me alone. I don't want to hear it, I want to make my own choice,' Irelia said, turning away with a twirl of her nightrobe and looking out to sea. 'I am still a young woman, but my youth is being snatched from me.'

'You needn't marry anyone,' Shen stated abruptly, echoing Karma's words and Irelia could feel his eyes waiting for her reaction.

'I know. Karma said. But still I'm expected to create an heir as soon as possible, husband or not. That's hardly much better.'

Shen took a step forwards until he was close enough that Irelia had to turn and face him. The ninja watched her with that same stare, but behind the deep purple of his eyes there was more understanding.

'You have within you a power that is unique and never seen before. Your family sigil came alive in a moment of extreme stress for you when you lost your siblings, and now you have been tied to it as your weapon. You and the blades speak to each other, a connection between living and inanimate that has never been witnessed in this world. There is more to you than we know, and the Elders are eager to capture that power to continue to protect their country. Who knows when Noxus may try to take our lands again? Or some other foe we have yet to encounter? While you are in your prime and at your strongest, a next of kin that possesses that same power would be invaluable.'

'I'm not some magic entity to be bottled and misused,' Irelia said shyly, her voice softening.

'Of course you are not. You are a shining beacon of hope for Ionia's future. Think on that. I will leave you now Irelia, I realise this is not an issue that can be solved with action, but careful consideration before all parties are satisfied.' Shen finished speaking and immediately started to walk away, his footsteps as silent as the gentle breeze that still danced through her bedroom.

Irelia stood still in thought, Shen's words swirling around in her mind. He was right, and the Elders too were right to some degree. Their intentions weren't to steal her life away from her, they just wanted to protect their homeland, as she had done against the Noxians.

'Shen, wait,' Irelia said, calling out into the darkness where Shen had disappeared into. She did not hear him, but knew that her words had been registered by him. The ninja's form came back into view as he stepped towards her. 'You can fix this issue…and restore balance,' she said slowly. Shen did not speak, but calmly allowed her to continue. 'I guess…I was just worried about who I would be made to be with, who would…not look after me. No one from the many men that Karma had arranged for me saw me for who I am, they were shallow or inferior.'

'You may not believe me, but I understand your need for a suitable partner, Irelia,' Shen said, but Irelia knew the ninja was missing her point. While his knowledge went unparalleled by everyone he met, Shen was never one for nuance. She turned to face him and stood close.

'You understand me, Shen. You protect me, listen to me and always consider my feelings in every matter. Why can't it be you that I am arranged to be with?' Irelia said, and her cheeks burned ever brighter. Her embarrassment reached new levels as she spoke her mind, and the definite uncomfortable twitch in the ninja's demeanour worried her further. Shen studied her face briefly before speaking.

'I am forbidden from marriage, Irelia. You know this, the Kinkou is not allowed-'

'Not even that, just sleep with me, Shen! Just one night and this could be sorted. Let me bear your child and Ionia's future will be doubly protected. I would raise a child with that potential as a proud mother and guide them into the future. It is the best possible outcome for this problem, can't you see?'

Shen went silent. From behind his face mask, Irelia could see countless emotions in those purple eyes that would have gone as unnoticed stoicism by anyone that didn't know him like she did. Shen would never agree to something trivially and would analyse every possible outcome before making a decision. After a pause that felt like an age, Shen finally spoke.

'If you are sure.'


	2. A Pas de Deux

‘W-what?’ Irelia said with wide-eyes as she processed his words. After her outburst where all her inhibited thoughts had spilled out to the ninja, she suddenly realised the implications of their meaning. ‘You…would want to do that?’ Irelia questioned, not believing what was happening. ‘You would do that for me, just to get me out of this mess?’

Shen gave a small tilt of his head. ‘If it would remedy this issue and restore your internal balance, I will do as you want.’ He said the words as if it was a casual agreement between friends, but to Irelia with the little experience in these matters that she had, found herself struggling to comprehend his blasé attitude.

‘But I mean…that’s no small thing. If I had your child…’ Irelia continued to stutter, suddenly finding that she couldn’t look Shen in the eye. She trusted this man with all her heart, and he seemed like such a perfect solution to her problems, but now after he agreed to help her, she struggled to fathom that it could become a reality. ‘You mean…you would with me…right now?’ Irelia said, looking around at her room, her eyes flicking to her bed just a few steps away.

‘Assuming that was what you were implying by your proposition, then yes. Right now.’

Irelia pulled her nightrobe a little tighter around her. The worried thoughts of her problem with the Ionian Elders and Karma had withered away at the prospect, and now she was left with the anxieties of the act itself. She suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever before. Killing Noxians was easy, this seemed impossible.

‘I mean…yes, okay.’ Irelia’s mind raced, mostly at what was about to happen, but also partly at how easily Shen had agreed. Had his talk with Karma involved more than just understanding the situation?

‘Are you sure you want this, Irelia?’ Shen asked.

‘Of course! I mean…I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t, it’s just…’ she tried to vocalise her worries, but realised that there was no better solution to the problem than this. She’d asked Shen because it was _him_ , there was no one better. ‘Yes, I want this,’ she finally affirmed, more to herself than him.

‘Then should we begin?’ Shen said as he took a step towards her, and went to offer his hand. Irelia immediately drew back, feeling some unease at his straight-forward approach. She went rigid at his forwardness and found herself staring at him with worry.

‘Woah…wait!’ Irelia said hastily, pulling away from his hand. Shen calmly returned to his neutral position and allowed her to speak. She slowed her breathing and held her hands out to assert herself. ‘If this is going to happen…then I want to at least be allowed to do it as I wish. I don’t want this to be a disappointing experience I’d rather forget. That was partly why I was so against Karma’s arrangement, because I knew those men would not care about my feelings. I only said about possibly doing it with you because…I know you’ll look after me.’

Irelia didn’t need to look at the ninja to know that he was well aware of the weakness she felt and the glint of worry in her baby blue eyes.

‘This solution is within your control, Irelia,’ he said. ‘I will do only as you instruct me, and if this does not work, we can forget it ever happened. What would you like me to do?’

‘I…’ Irelia couldn’t put it into words. She’d had fantasies before, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but those were just waking dreams before bed when her body was telling her things she was unfamiliar with. Doing it for real seemed a different uncharted land compared to the sexual imaginings she’d muse over late at night. ‘I want it to be like I imagine.’ She felt nervous even speaking of sex, she’d never been required to speak her mind about such matters, it all seemed so foreign. ‘I want to be in control of it all and I want it to be…passionate and loving. I never wanted this experience to be taken from me.’

She looked away again, still finding the cool stare of the Eye of Twilight intimidating rather than comforting. Her arms had crossed protectively over her body, and she stiffened more so when she saw Shen take a step forward. He made no sound—as he never did—not even the rattle of the blades on his back or the clink of his armour.

He was only a few inches away from her face, yet still she could not hear a single breath leave his mouth. She looked up and found to her surprise that Shen had removed his mask. Rarely was she granted a chance to see his face, and every time she did have the honour it set a little spark alight inside her. He was handsome in a rugged, worldly sort of a way. Hard lines defined his jaw and cropped black hair lay ruffled on the top of his head.

‘You need to speak to me, Irelia,’ he said, his voice even calmer than usual. He’d allowed the commanding assertion that normally laced his words to slip free, leaving only the compassionate warm tone of a friend. ‘Tell me what you want and I will do it.’

‘I want…’ she began, but again the words fought back against her. ‘I want to kiss you.’

Shen did not seem surprised at the idea, but carefully leant forward, gently cupping her chin and angling her face upwards towards him. He did not push all the way forward, stopping an inch or so away to let her move first. There was a moment where Irelia just stared at his face so close to hers, and particularly at his rather inviting lips before she gave in to herself and possibly a little too quickly, closed the gap.

A strange fanfare of emotion popped inside Irelia’s head once their lips connected. It was a new and totally weird feeling to her. She didn’t know what to do, whether to tense up and grab hold of him like he was the only thing keeping her alive, or to relax and give in to his gentle hold. The hand on her cheek pulled her a little tighter and Irelia reached up to lose her own hand in his messy brown tresses. His lips were softer than she could ever have expected, and although the wet smacks that sounded every time they moved together were strange, the overall sensation was incredible. She savoured it. When their lips broke apart, Irelia longed for more. Shen on the other hand, looked slightly abashed.

‘Was that…?’ he started to say, looking at her quizzically.

‘My first?’ Irelia replied, finding a little bit of confidence seeping back into her spirit after the engagement. ‘Yes,’ she confirmed. ‘There’s always been something else going on in my life to keep me away from thinking about kissing boys,’ she said, chuckling a little. ‘It was definitely a good first,’ she smiled, feeling the warmth settle in her cheeks. For a moment, she almost thought she saw him smile back.

Shen gestured with his hand towards her bed as if to allow her to continue taking the lead. She looked at it with nervous excitement, still feeling the tingle of him lingering on her lips. Going further still made her anxious, but after that one kiss, it was coupled with a new sense of wonderment.

Irelia sat herself down carefully on the edge of the bed as Shen followed her over. He remained standing, once again waiting for her permission to make any moves. Irelia’s blue eyes flicked to him and noticed him awkwardly standing by her bedside. She shuffled back so her whole body was on the covers and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging her arms around them and wrapping her night gown around herself.

‘Are you okay, Irelia?’ Shen asked.

‘Sit down Shen,’ she said, moving over slightly to let him have one side of the bed. With caution that seemed uncharacteristic for the usually confident ninja, he perched himself on the edge of the bed. As he turned, Irelia rose up to kneel on the covers next to him. She kept eye contact with the Kinkou head as her fingers slipped under the straps of his chest armour and deftly undid the clips. As it came loose, Shen pulled the hardened plate from his torso and propped it up against the wall. His bracers followed, along with the few other pieces of hardened metal that covered his dark fabric suit. Soon Shen was left in a state of undress she had never seen before. It was so surreal to her, almost as if the idea that Shen was born in his full Eye of Twilight getup and never took it off. Her eyes wandered over the muscles in his arms and chest and she reached out to touch them.

With her fingers gliding along his arms, Irelia pulled him down to her pillows so that he was laid below her. She leant herself over him, quickly reaching his face and reconnecting their lips. Her left leg came up to rest on his thighs as she continued to kiss him with fervour and passion, gliding the slender fingers of her left hand across the slight hint of dark stubble on his jawline.

‘Take control,’ she whispered to him.

Shen wasted no time and was not one to disobey. Irelia gasped as he rolled over on the bed so that he was leaning over her, placing a muscled arm by the side of her head to keep himself upright. He took the lead on the kiss this time, capturing her lips with intensity. Irelia sighed into his mouth as she allowed his tongue to mingle with hers and her arms laced themselves around his shoulder.

She jumped as one of his hands ran along her side, tracing her wide hips and grazing the side of her breast. He was so very warm atop her, a heat that was confirmed as his fingers found the meeting of her nightgown and slipped beneath it to run along her belly.

Their lips broke away long enough for Irelia to let out a low moan deep in her throat as Shen kissed along the pale skin of her neck and continued to open her nightgown like the first page of a book. The satin belt unwound itself and soon Irelia’s dark matching underwear were open to his gaze. He brushed aside the material and Irelia helped him by shrugging the gown off her shoulders, revealing more and more perfect skin.

Irelia watched him warily as Shen sat up, and she found goose bumps appearing along her arms from her exposure. Shen pulled off his cloth shirt, baring a torso of hardened, disciplined muscle. Shen’s body was in the peak of human condition and as he leant over her again, she couldn’t help her fascination but touch his abs and feel each defined contour of his arms and shoulders.

He reached down, scooping her smaller frame up in his arms and started a new assault of peppered kisses along her neck down to her collar. When he reached lower, almost into the valley of her breasts contained in her bra, Irelia let out a small involuntarily noise that caused him to stop and check on her. He looked up, noticing her flushed face and heard her almost growl at his ceasing.

‘Don’t stop, idiot,’ she breathed, pulling his head back down. ‘Touch me.’

Irelia seized up on the bed, feeling all her muscles wind in a tight ball when Shen’s hand slipped between her legs, gliding along her inner thigh and cupping her sex. His fingers started to move, rubbing and tracing the line of her slit beneath her panties and every time he did, shoots of a new pleasures coursed along her limbs like pulses of a wonderful energy. She didn’t need to check to know that her womanhood had grown wet and was beginning to stain her underwear.

With a completely red face and breathing heavily, Irelia sat up again, pushing Shen up with her.

‘I can’t wait any more,’ she said, reaching behind her and unclipping her bra. ‘You’ve made up my mind.’ She tossed the garment off to the side, her modest breasts bouncing slightly as they met the cool air of the night. Her breasts were firm and close to her chest, topped with innocently pink nipples that stood out against her white skin.

She smiled as she saw him ogling at her perfect breasts and rapidly hardening nipples. She puffed her chest out towards him, beaming at how her slowly revealed body was breaking down even the most drilled in of Shen’s training. There was no doubt in her mind that Shen had had sexual relations in the past. He wasn’t exempt from it in his vows to the Kinkou Order and rumours had circulated of him and Akali before she went rogue, but still she wondered how long it had been for him.

He wrapped a powerful arm around her, holding her in the small of her back as his free hand went up to squeeze a breast. Irelia sighed as he massaged her chest, flicking his fingers gently over her nipple. Her breath caught in her throat and her fingers tangled in his messy brown hair as he lapped his tongue over the reddened nub, taking the peak in his mouth and sucking tenderly.

‘Oh Shen,’ she breathed out.

Before she had even had a chance to get over the new sensations he was causing to stir within her, she found herself falling back until her head hit the pillow and Shen was leaning over her again. She opened her eyes, gazing blearily into the intense stare that the ninja gave.

‘Relax Irelia,’ he said, almost with the power of a command still in his voice. She nodded briefly, settling into the covers and the softness of the sheets. She looked down to watch what he was doing as he started to shuffle around on the bed, before he parted her legs and knelt between them. Fingers hiked up her thighs until they found the hem of her silk panties. She took in a breath, suddenly feeling nervous again, but obediently raised her hips and allowed him to slip the garment off her long pale legs. She lay on the bed naked before him, resisting the urge to cover her modesty. She felt safe, but there was still some trepidation inside her at being exposed in someone else’s presence. An unfamiliar feeling, dampened only by the fact that it was Shen in her room.

He encouraged her to raise her legs and bend her knees, putting her feet flat on the bed, spread enough for him to fit between. Her cheeks went even redder with a new intense burn when she realised he was staring at the pink lips of her untouched womanhood, seeing the gentle slope of her mound and washing over the large patch of trimmed blue hair between her toned thighs.

‘Stop…staring-aah!’ her worries were cut off as suddenly she found Shen’s face between her legs and his tongue prodded at her lower lips. Irelia seized up at the unusual feeling, tensing all her muscles and feeling the sudden need to grab hold of Shen’s head. She jolted, but before she could do anything, the shock had been overtaken by pure bliss, unfounded by Irelia until this moment.

She felt every little sweep, every warm caress that was joined by an amount of saliva. Not that she needed it, as by now she could feel that her tunnel had moistened along with the fiery heat burning in her core. She gave in to her body and grabbed hold of Shen’s head, perhaps a little too roughly and wove her fingers into his messy hair. He continued to nip and kiss at her swollen lips, occasionally prodding further with his tongue but never going too deep. It drove her wild.

‘Aah,’ she moaned quietly, nibbling on her bottom lip and pulsing her hips to press lift her pelvis each time she felt him touch her. One hand settled gently on her forearm, as if to calm her and tell her everything was alright, while the other had slipped under her thigh and tugged her that little bit closer so he could continue his work.

By the time Shen had pulled away, Irelia barely registered it. She was swimming so wonderfully in the sensations rippling through her body. Irelia slowly opened her eyes. Coquettishly, she cupped his jaw and kissed him again, surprising her somewhat with her own taste that lingered on his lips.

‘Are you ready, Irelia?’ he asked, and she suddenly realised her had shed his trousers and lay over her completely naked.

‘W-wait,’ she said. He looked at her, compassion and consideration in his usually zealous eyes. She became acutely aware of his hardened member only a few inches away from her womanhood. ‘This will fix things, won’t it? Even if everyone finds out, nothing will happen, will it?’ She hated herself for worrying at a time like this, but she was never one to allow her judgement to be clouded.

‘The Elders will approve it, we are both champions – and neither us of have taken vows that would forbid this from happening,’ he assured her. Looking down at her below him, he gently moved some hair over her eyes away from her face. Irelia smiled – it seemed like such an unusually compassionate thing for the stoic ninja to do. She hadn’t expected any genuine affection from him, and savoured every little gentle consideration he was giving her.

She felt herself loosen as the stress and worry about the situation left her, but was reminded that she was about to lose her purity to this man - but was willing to let him do it. She had dreamt of this moment and now with Shen in her bed, she realised that what she felt for him went beyond duty.

‘Do it,’ she said finally, holding onto his muscled torso behind his back and clutching onto him. Not sure what to expect, she closed her eyes. When his crown came into contact with her petals, she tensed up. Then he pushed a little deeper and she was hit with a stinging pain she’d never felt before. ‘Aah…ah…stop,’ she said, and he did. She took a second to let it subside, calming her breath. ‘Slower,’ she panted out.

Shen obliged, listening to her reaction as he again eased himself into her, trying his best to keep his weight off her and allow her to take him at her own pace. Irelia’s youthful face was contorted both by concentration and the pain that was slowly subsiding in her core. Her abdominals were tight, tensed to their limit as she accepted him, sweat forming on her brow where her silver circlet would normally be. Her trust in him made him want to ensure the experience remained comfortable for her throughout, and he realised that this moment may pose an issue. ‘Does it still hurt?’ he asked. She was still rigid like a tightly wound bowstring, but her signs of pain were starting to lessen.

‘It’s…fine now,’ she said and looked up at him. Thick locks of her midnight hair were starting to stick to her forehead with the sweat caused by her exertion. Her pale face moulded into a sheepish expression to join the blush on her cheeks. ‘Just…you’re quite big,’ she said shyly.

Irelia tried her best to calm herself for a moment, but the new experience and the unusual feelings were so strange and exciting. She couldn’t tell if this was going as she imagined, but as the pain began to subside only to replaced by passionate pleasure, Irelia started to sink into the feelings and time became a blur. Shen was slowly moving, and every time his muscular body rocked back towards her, she couldn’t help herself but let breathy moans leave her mouth.

She silenced herself by taking Shen’s face in her hands again, gazing into his intense purple eyes and closing the gap to kiss him deeply again. This time, Shen’s return was even more fervent and she began to hear his vocalisations deep in his throat every time his pushed gently into her. A tender rhythm started as the two began to dance together. Irelia opened her legs wider to accept him, wrapping them around his back and clinging on tight.

She moaned loudly and desperately, breathing out ragged breaths every time Shen thrusted back into her. He had built up a steady pace and his member reached deep inside her. Each time he met the peak of his thrust, she felt the pang of pleasure right in her core. She had never felt anything like it – no moment of happiness of enjoyment compared to the sheer satisfaction of his ability to make love to her. She savoured every second, trying to smile through the moans leaving her mouth.

Irelia cupped Shen’s cheeks, lost in the rapture that he was bringing her. It was happening. This long sought after experience that had eluded her for years, the thing that made her feel less of a woman was finally occurring – and it was wonderful. She gazed into the intensity in Shen’s eyes, and she saw the man she respected in his most vulnerable state, his brow furrowed in concentration. She could tell that he was doing everything to please her and meet her expectations, but at the same time keeping to the task in hand. This was both a passionate affair and a bureaucratic agreement between two powerful figures in Ionia. She knew that deep in her mind, but with Shen inside her and the feel of his muscular body pressed up against her, she didn’t care.

Shen was tensing, she could feel it. His arms were tight and taut as he held onto her, his lower half pressing into her with each pulse of his hips. Even in her inexperience, she knew he was close. She laced her arms around his neck, burying her face into his cheek and riding out the high as his pace continued. She couldn’t tell if she fallen over her peak, but everything definitely felt perfect.

‘Let go Shen,’ she pleaded into his ear, hearing his grunts of exertion. ‘Let go.’

It seemed like her permission was all he needed. Shen delivered one final thrust into her and she shuddered with the pleasure of knowing that he had released inside of her. Her problems had met their end in an engulfing euphoria of passion, one that she had dreamed of for years. Shen became limp atop her as he breathed heavily, and she ran a hand tenderly along his arms to calm him down as his orgasm receded.

Shen carefully brought his weight off her and rolled to the other side of the bed, his chest still rising and falling as he caught his breath. Irelia suddenly felt cold without Shen’s warmth as her skin slick with sweat met the cool night air. There was a comforting heat between her legs though, along with the tinge of a distant, but still lingering pain. Overall, her mood was settled and an exhausted smiled found its way to her lips.

Shen got up from the bed and went to gather up his armour. But before he could move away from her, Irelia reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him back into the bed and tugging the covers over him.

‘Nah-ah-ah, you’re not going to flake out on me like that Shen. I won’t let you run off back to your duty without finishing here,’ she said, slotting herself next to him and holding on tight. Shen seemed rather confused by her behaviour, and couldn’t quite make sense of why she wanted him to stay in the bed.

‘Have we not found the solution to your problem? Can I help you any more, Irelia?’

She gave him a playful scowl, but quickly realised that it was simply how the Kinkou leader’s head worked. He didn’t spare time for relaxation, and although he’d been as passionate as she wanted so far, his task had been completed in his eyes and he was eager to move on to the next one. He lay awkwardly in the bed next to her, and she carried on clasping on to him, bringing her leg up over him so he couldn’t move.

‘We agreed before all this that you would do things as I imagined them, and I imagined being able to fall asleep in the arms of my loving partner,’ she said, looking up at Shen’s face. The ninja looked as different to her as she’d ever seen him, like a casual version of his usual hard-working self. His hair was messy and there was a tinge of pink on his cheeks. ‘So you’re going to stay right here until I’ve fallen asleep.’

Shen blinked once or twice, as if still unsure as to why someone would want to do such a thing. She leant forward and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Just lay there and keep looking handsome.’

She tried to settle down, but the position was still rather awkward as Shen lay there rigid and unrelaxed. She shuffled around, grabbing hold of his arm and wrapping it around her shoulder so that she fit perfectly into his side and snuggled into his warmth. For a moment, Shen still seemed hesitant about the situation, as his arm rested unconfidently on her, but soon she felt him ease up and relax with her next to him.

The night closed in around them, and soon the view out of Irelia’s bedroom across the sea became lit only by the moon and the gentle glint of stars across the still waters.

Shen lay very much awake – with his training, the ninja did not need to sleep the same way a normal person would. He was alert and never lost track of his duty to protect Ionia and her people. Beside him, Irelia breathed gently as she slept, laying her head on his still-bare chest and her naked body rested against his side. He focussed on the sensation of her next to him for a moment, feeling every last gentle rise and fall of her against him. She didn’t stir, but lay perfectly calm in uninterrupted sleep.

Shen looked down at her and gently moved some strands of her midnight blue hair away from her eyes. He leant down and pressed his lips to the top of her forehead in a soft kiss. Silently, he removed her from his body, laying her down on the pillow and tucking the covers up over her sleeping form.

In a matter of seconds, the ninja had disappeared without a sound and Ionia’s captain was left to sleep soundly in her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, please leave a review. I’m considering writing something similar for Riven at some point.  
> I’m pretty happy with how this turned out and think I managed to hit the right balance between a vanilla sex scene that’s not overly soppy and romantic but not smutty either. It’s an agreement between two important Ionian figures which causes them to realise they trust each other deeply and perhaps there’s a hint of love there too.  
> I’m trying to expand the variety of what I write at the moment. For ages I was just a romance writer, writing loved up ships to please fans of those two characters. Recently, I’ve started to branch out into more smutty works, more down the route of harder erotica. Top of the League Tables is a prime example of this, the last chapter is damn smutty. I hope you enjoyed this story, and let me know what you want to see more of. More romance? More hardcore? Leave a review.  
> As many of my regular readers know, Irelia is my favourite character. I wanted to write a story that really delved into her personality and attitudes towards certain things. She’s someone who’s been thrown into the position as an ambassador for her country, but in a stage of her life when she’s still somewhat rebellious and full of attitude. Although she appears sassy and self-confident, I like to think that this is in part a way to hide certain insecurities, which I tried to highlight in this story. I hope you enjoyed.  
> Cheers  
> Geist


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